McEvoy and Roberts put on 89 in 93 minutes for MCC but Roberts(when 9) was dropped by Lewis at slip off McCrum when the total was 22. McCrum bowled 10 overs for 21 but Thomson was hit for 24 in 5 overs and gave way to Hoey with the total on 36. Hoey then bowled 30 overs in succession until the innings was closed at 3:25 PM. It was Hoey who took the first wicket in his eighth over when he bowled Roberts. Seven overs and 14 runs later (when the total had reached 100 in 33.2 overs) Lewis had McEvoy caught at the wicket. Just before lunch Dunlop took a turn and had Morgan LBW in his second over. Needham and Knight played out 10 scoreless balls to lunch.

In the 2 ½ hour session MCC scored 135-3 in 46 overs, Needham 24, Knight 0. No more wickets fell in the remaining 27 overs of the innings. In that time Needham and Knight put on 102. 150 was up in 50.2 overs and 200 17 overs later. At this point McCrum dropped a skier at mid-on off Hoey when Knight was 37. 37 more came in the last 6 overs. Needham got to 50 in 109 minutes and made 23 more in 20 minutes. In all he scored 9 fours. Knight hit 3 sixes in his 52 which came in 77 minutes. Hoey soldiered on very well and his 30 overs cost 72. McCrum might have been tried at the end rather than Thompson whose last six overs cost 32.

Warke and Cohen had an hour's batting up to tea. They made 59 in 19 overs bowled by the opening bowlers Palmer and Hodgkins, followed by Doshi, the former Indian test left-arm bowler and Paul. Warke was dropped behind early on but both played well. Both were 28 at tea and 50 had come in 15.1 overs.

After tea, they put up their second opening century stand of 1991. It came in 28.3 overs. The stand went to 119 in 112 overs at which point Doshi brought it to an end in the 36th over. Cohen drove him to extra cover having hit him for six earlier in the over. 119-1-62. Warke was now 51. Cohen had made 62 to add to scores of 91-88-12*on recent visits to Lords. He faced 99 balls and hit a six and 7 fours. Vincent joined Warke and in the next 11.2 overs 71 were added, 34 to Warke and 35 to Vincent.

At 147 Needham was given 3 overs which cost 33 runs, including 7 fours. Vincent hit 6 fours. Then he and Warke were out in successive overs with the total at 190. Vincent drove Allbrook to mid-wicket where Roberts took great diving catch. Palmer had bowled six overs at the start. He now came back for Needham and his first ball bowled Warke for 85 (scored in 162 minutes with a six and 8 fours) whereupon Ireland declared 47 behind with 10 minutes left. 3 overs were bowled by McCrum and Lewis. The score at close of play was 3-0, McEvoy 1, Roberts 0. The latter was dropped of the first ball that Lewis bowled - by Warke at second slip.

Next day Ireland bowled out MCC at Lords for the first time since Ireland's win in 1973. Doshi was ill and took no part in the day's play so Ireland had nine wickets to take. McCrum and Lewis were the bowlers who started and each took a wicket. At 28 Roberts (18) was caught at the wicket off Lewis and at 45 McCrum bowled Needham (15). 50 was up in 15.4 overs with McEvoy and Morgan together Hoey came on at 54th the 18th over and, as in the first innings, bowled unchanged to the end. He took 3 wickets in his first 9 overs while Thompson bowled 8 overs, somewhat expensively, from the other end. McEvoy and Morgan's partnership of 38 was the best of the innings.

At 83 Hoey had McEvoy caught by Moore, fielding substitute, at mid-wicket for 30 Palmer was caught by Bailey off Hoey at 95. 100 was up in 28.4 overs but at 122 Morgan (39) was caught at extra-cover. Knight and Goldie added 29. Dunlop replaced Thompson. Then, just before lunch, 3 wickets fell in 7 balls with the score at 151. In 3 balls from Hoey Knight (27) was caught at slip and Paul at silly mid-off. On the third ball of Dunlop's next over Goldie was caught at the wicket - at which point lunch was taken with the score at 151-8.

Ireland could have done without lunch! Only one wicket had to be taken. On resumption this wicket took 10 overs, 27 minutes and 20 runs to take - significant figures in the target set for Ireland. The recalled McCrum eventually had Allbrook caught by Lewis. Hoey had taken 5-48 in 18 overs, actually taking the 5 wickets in a 10 overs spell for 29 runs. He pitched the ball up and got some turn McCrum backed him well and took 2-34 in 14.2 overs.

Ireland were set 219 to win in 170 minutes +20 overs. If MCC had a choice the target would not have been so generous. In fact Ireland did badly up to tea. 112 minutes saw MCC bowl 33 overs. Ireland scored 67 runs and lost Cohen, Vincent and Warke. At tea, with two hours left, 152 were still required with seven wickets in hand. Palmer bowled 6 overs for 24 but the other opening bowler, Hodgkins, 6 overs for 4 runs and the wickets of Cohen and Vincent, neither of whom scored.

At 10, all scored by Warke, Cohen was bowled. At 25 Vincent was caught at second slip. Knight and Allbrook now came on. Scoring was slow from Warke and Lewis - 35 in 69 minutes. 50 had come up in 21.2 overs. Then, at just the wrong time, with the score on 60, Knight caught and bowled Warke for 35. Lewis was 24 and Patterson had not scored at tea - and then came the rain. Knight had bowled 11 overs and took 1-19. Allbrook's 10 overs cost only 14. Without the rain would Ireland have won? It must be said the odds were against it!

Derek Scott